About to drop a 460 in my 77 4x4 in place of the 351M

I have a 460 all built and ready to drop in my 77 4x4 which has a top loader 4 speed. Only reason I went with a Big Block is cause I was told it would bolt up. Today at the track a guy told be that the bell housing for a manual it not going to fit and neither will the engine mounts... WTF?

Couple of places offer replacement mounts and the bell housing is the same for a 351M and a 460.

You will need to get the correct flywheel for the 460 though.

Lookin at these over priced swap kits.. http://www.landlproducts.com/details.aspx?cID=1&BP=0&scID=102&ItemID=1137

From what I can tell.. The 460 crank bolt patterned should be the same (and anyone confirm?) BUT the 460 flywheel is both smaller and balanced differently. SOOO IF this is all true, I am thing that can just have the machine shop neutralize the balance of my 351m flwheel and fab up some mounts.. Sound like a plan?

fordman50 wrote:Lookin at these over priced swap kits.. http://www.landlproducts.com/details.aspx?cID=1&BP=0&scID=102&ItemID=1137

From what I can tell.. The 460 crank bolt patterned should be the same (and anyone confirm?) BUT the 460 flywheel is both smaller and balanced differently. SOOO IF this is all true, I am thing that can just have the machine shop neutralize the balance of my 351m flwheel and fab up some mounts.. Sound like a plan?

Those kits are nice...... it sounds expensive untill you need the stuff and go to the auto parts store, pay a bunch more and wait forever for the parts (if you can find them)

You need to get the correct flywheel.

I typical find that when you try to poor boy something it usually cost's more than doing it right the first time.

Do it right the "first" time. It will cost you more money trying to be cheap.

The 351M/400 flywheel and flexplates will not even bolt up to a 460 crank, the 351m/400 bolt pattern is smaller.

The L&L flywheel/clutch packages are a little expensive but if you look around the forums you will come to realize the headaches one of them will prevent.

There are a couple companies that make swap mounts that will bolt on to your 460 and fit your 351m frame perches. You can find good and bad opinions on them all, its really up to you what ones you want to buy.

Dave S.

The Engine is a neutrally balanced 73. I need to know if the bolt pattern for the flywheels are the same now. Neutrally balancing a flywheel is no big deal and cost $30.

I can fab mounts for free from stuff I have sitting around from race cars I have built.

I heard something about needing a spacer???

I dont have a budget to get a $2000 kit for a $700 truck with a $400 460 for a hunting vehicle.

The 351m flywheel will not bolt to the 460 crank, I wanted to do the same thing you are thinking about when I first put a 460 in a bronco while in high school, wouldnt work. I actually held the 400 flexplate up to the 460 hanging on the engine hoist, the 351m/400 flexplate doesn't even come close to matching.

It always pissed me off when I read swap articles about not re-using the 351m/400 flywheels/flexpaltes on 460s because of the balance issue, they wont even bolt up, theres no way to even bolt them on.


As far as buying the whole L&L swap kit, it would depend on what your 460 came out of. If your engine accessories will fit in the truck, especially the alternator, I would just buy the clutch kit and engine mounts. No need to buy brackets you wont use.

Dave S.

EDIT: Bronco Graveyard has the clutch/flywheel kits, the price is just about what you would pay anywhere else.

You have a 5 spd on a 351M? What bellhousing and tranny do you have?

EDIT: The reason i'm asking this is if it is an aluminum bellhousing all this L&L talk may be for nothing. The L&L kits are made to fit a clutch and flywheel for a 429/460 engine into a slightly shallower bellhousing. If you have a 460 tranny/bellhousing already, you can go to just about parts store and buy flywheels and clutchs that will fit.

DS

wvmudder wrote:You have a 5 spd on a 351M? What bellhousing and tranny do you have?

EDIT: The reason i'm asking this is if it is an aluminum bellhousing all this L&L talk may be for nothing. The L&L kits are made to fit a clutch and flywheel for a 429/460 engine into a slightly shallower bellhousing. If you have a 460 tranny/bellhousing already, you can go to just about parts store and buy flywheels and clutchs that will fit.

DS

I have a 4 speed. Not sure I am following you. I have an old 77 bell for a 351. what I have read is that I need a 460 block plate and a 390 flywheel and mounts. The accessories, I will cross that bridge when i get to it.

fordman50 wrote:I have a 460 all built and ready to drop in my 77 4x4 which has a top loader 5 speed. Only reason I went with a Big Block is cause I was told it would bolt up. Today at the track a guy told be that the bell housing for a manual it not going to fit and neither will the engine mounts... WTF?

I posted what I did because you posted you had a 5 spd transmission, I was under the assumption you maybe had a newer tranny and possibly a 460 bellhousing since you had a 351M bolted to that 5 spd.
So disregard what I posted about that.

Also, I have read numerous places about using a 390 flywheel but I have yet to read anywhere the part numbers for the clutch and pressure plate that is supposed to be used. I have also read where the 390 flywheel needs drilled to fit another pressure plate. Like I said, those clutch and flyhweel packages save a lot of headaches.

Dave S.

we have 390 mounts on our 79 bronco with a 460 swap, but ours is a C6 trans